May 17, 2023
The Justice Department has issued a series of indictments against foreign persons suspected of getting critical U.S. technology illegally.
In southern California, a Chinese national stole advanced “smart manufacturing” source code for nuclear submarines and military aircraft. He established his own company in China and sold the stolen information there. In another case, Weibao Wang, a former Apple software developer, is accused of stealing or trying to steal Apple’s full autonomous source code. While on the Annotation Team, Wang had access to databases. Later, he accepted a position with an unnamed U.S. affiliate of a Chinese business specializing in autonomous driving technologies.
A Greek national is charged in a second accusation of procuring highly restricted technology, including quantum cryptography, for Moscow’s military and research endeavors. The suspect was apprehended in France and may be extradited to the United States.
These are the first wave of enforcement actions taken by the newly formed Disruptive Technology Strike Force. This cooperative endeavor, launched earlier this year by the departments of Justice and Commerce, consists of 14 U.S. attorney offices entrusted with investigating and prosecuting breaches of export control regulations.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, chief of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, underscored the DOJ’s commitment to stopping foreign enemies from getting and utilizing technological capabilities that endanger both national security and democratic principles throughout the world.
The sources for this piece include an article in TheRecord.
